China (representing Southern Song Dynasty):still led by Wu Zetian, owns Chengdu, Xiangyang, Hangzhou (capital), Tanzhou, and Guangzhou, will lauch an invasion of the Jin Dynasty, in an effort to reclaim lost territory, like real history

India (representing the Delhi Sultanate)-oddly led by Gandhi, owns Multan, Lahore, Delhi (capital), and Varanasi, note: Gandhi should perhaps be renamed Iltutmish, ruler when Mongols first appeared in India

Korea- (Militaristic and middle purple color,Hanoi theme) At the time of the Mongolian Empire, the Kingdom of Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty, which took power in 918 AD. During this reign the nation flourished: its laws were codified, a civil service system was introduced, and it made great cultural advancements with the creation of the world’s first movable-metal-type printing press. Starting in the 1230s however, the kingdom became threatened by Mongolian forces, who continued a heated invasion attempt for the next few decades. In 1259 the nation sued for peace, and a treaty was drawn up between Korea and the Mongols. The Goryeo were allowed to keep their sovereignty, while the Mongolian Empire annexed a large portion of the northern Provinces.

Dai Viet-(Maritime and green color, Oslo theme) The Golden Age of the Dai Viet period of Vietnam started with the founding of the Ly dynasty in 1009 AD. It is here when the country gained a formal strategic vision and started to focus more on building a strong economy and completing civil works projects. Seeing such a valuable jewel on its borders, the Mongols attempted to invade the Dai Viet in 1257, 1284, and 1288, all unsuccessfully. The Dai Viet did what most other nations at the time could not-they avoided the superior Mongol forces in the open field and fought the horsemen only where they had the upper hand, securing the independence of their nation.

Dali-(Militaristic and peach color, Tyre theme) Located in the modern Yunnan Province of China, the kingdom of Dali was founded in 937 AD after a period of turbulent, smaller dynasties. The kingdom’s territory lent itself naturally to defense, and it was said that just a few men could protect the valley for years. This claim seems to hold some truth, as the Mongols attempted repeatedly to invade the kingdom, all unsuccessfully. Records show that the Mongolian army eventually located a traitor from Dali to lead them over the mountains through a secret passage, finally giving them the means to overrun the impregnable defenses. In 1253 the Mongols completed their invasion of the state, eventually creating the Province of Yunnan in 1274.

Uighur-(Cultured and light purple color, Lhasa theme) Founded in 742 AD, the Golden Age of the Uighur Empire quickly began and extended into the latter 8th century. However, the young and fledgling empire was conquered by the Kyrgyz in 840, and the Uighur scattered into three kingdoms: Gansu, Turpan and Karakhanids. This scenario concerns the Uighur in Turpan, a fairly successful tribal kingdom which lasted until the Mongol invasion of 1389. The Mongols eventually adopted Uighur script as their writing system after the Uighurs became their vassals.

Georgia-(Cultured and grey color,Warsaw theme) Inhabited since the early Stone Age, the complete unification of the area did not occur until the 11th century AD, under King Bagrat V. The new kingdom of Georgia quickly flourished and reached its zenith only one short century later. This Georgian Renaissance brought a multitude of advancements to the area, including breakthroughs in philosophy, the penmanship of epic poetry, and the construction of exquisite cathedrals, Despite its quick and successful development, the Georgian Golden Age came crashing to an end with the Mongol invasion in 1236; the kingdom completely collapsed by the end of the 15th century.

Abbasids-(Maritime and light green color, Geneva theme) The third of the Islamic caliphates, the Abbasid dynasty ruled the kingdom from the capital in Baghdad. The caliphate was founded by descendents of the prophet Muhammad in 750 AD, and flourished for a several hundred years. The Abbasids continued to hold power for centuries, but their sway over the local provinces diminished over time. In 1258 the Mongols invaded the caliphate and sacked Baghdad, removing the Abbasids from political power. The Caliphate was formally disestablished, with the Abbasids only managing to hold onto some small amount of religious authority.

Crusader States-(Maritime and white color, Copenhagen theme) During the Western European crusades of the Holy Land, a number of small feudal states were created during the 12th and 13th centuries AD. The first four Crusader states were created in the Levant, an area along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. Later during the Third Crusade, the Kingdom of Cyprus was founded by Richard the Lionhearted, where it continued to be a base for the Christian forces until 1571. The Mongols never made any formal attacks against the Crusader states, and the majority survived until a round of invasions led by the Ottomans in the 16th century.

Hungary-(Cultured and blue color, Bucharest theme) Founded in 895 AD, Hungary is one of the oldest countries in Europe. For centuries the kingdom repelled many attacks against its borders and housed some of the wealthiest kings on the continent-at one point the Hungarian king’s income doubled that of England’s monarch. In 1217, the crown led the Fifth Crusade into the Holy Land, in the process creating the largest royal army in the history of the Crusades. However, not even this mighty army could stop the sweeping arm of the Mongolian Empire. In 1241, the Mongols invaded Hungary and killed roughly half of the country’s population, almost 1 million people. The Hungarian king Bela IV ordered the construction of hundreds of stone fortifications along the borders, stopping some smaller forces, but the greatest damage had already been done.

Western Xia (Militaristic, Cyan color, Sidon theme) The Western Xia Dynasty, or Tangut Empire, was founded in 1038 AD when a Tangut chieftain named himself emperor of the Da Xia region. Not much later, the kingdom suffered massive destruction from rounds of Mongol invasions led by Genghis Khan-six different attacks over the course of twenty-two years. Genghis died during the last round of attacks (the cause of death still being debated), and the enraged horde overran the capital in 1227, destroying buildings and written records, murdering the emperor, and killing tens of thousands in the process.